Means for equalizing the wear on the heels of boots and shoes.



PATENTED AUG. 15,1905.

J, Ha WM'IE. MEANS) FOR EQUALIZING THE WEAR ON THE HEELS OF BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 1905.

NTH s *rns fia'rnul JOHN H. T/VATTE, OF .BROCKTON, MA-EBSACHUSETTS.

MEANS FOR EQUALlZlNG THE WEAR ON THE HEELS OF BOOTS AND SHOES.

s ecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed April 14, 1905- Serial No. 255,481.

To (ti/Z whmn 731'; may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. W'Arru, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of lizllassachusetts,have invented a new and useful Means for Equalizing the Wear on the Heels of Boots and Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a lining for the heels of boots and shoes, which is adapted to be used for preventing uneven wearing or running over of the heels.

'llhe especial object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive construction which can be worn inside the shoe without discomfort, which is preferably made of right and left hand patterns, and which can correct the wearer of the shoes, so as to prevent excessive wear either along the inside or outside edges of the shoe-heels.

To these ends this invention consists of the heel-lining as an article of manufacture and of the combinations of parts therein, as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe, partly broken away, showing one of my heel-linings in place therein. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the sheepskin blank for one of my heel-linings. Fig. 3 is a detached view of the cushion, of felt or similar material; and Fig. i is a transverse sectional view of one of the complete heellinings.

This invention relates especially to that class of inside cushions or heel-pieces which are intended to be worn inside of shoes.

in manufacturing heel-linings according to this invention 1 preferably employ a piece of sheepskin or similar material, which is cutout into the form of a blank shown in Fig. 2. This blank comprises the piece 10,connectingneck 11, and a crescent-shaped flap 12. In the complete heel-lining the flap 12 is folded over and pasted or otherwise fastened in place to form a pocket inclosing a cushion of felt or similar material. In the complete heellining, as shown in Fig. i, the part 10 forms an uninterrupted top surface, while the cushion 13 gives a general wedge-shaped section to the complete device. In using these heellii'iings to correct the running over of shoe heels the thicker edge of the lining is placed above the side of the heel which tends to be worn out.

In practice I have found that the uneven wear at the heels of boots or shoes is due not only to the fact that the wearer steps with more pressure on one side of the heel than on the other, but is due in a still greater measure to the fact that the wearing pressure tends to crush or bend out the counter or side of the shoe where the greatest wear takes place. This is corrected in a greatmeasure by placing the thicker edge of one of my heel-linings at the side of the shoe where the counter tends to be distorted, the wedge-shaped lining serving to throw the foot toward the other side of the shoe and relieve the pressure upon the counter or side.

My heel-linings are prefe 'abl y sold in pairs of right and left hand shapes, respectively, and I prefer to do this, as the same pair of heel-linings may be used for correcting ex cessive wear either on the outside or inside edges of a pair of shoes that is to say, the heel-linings are interchangeable, and where one of a pair of heel-linings is put into one shoe it will tend to correct excessive wear on one side of the heel, while if this one is taken out and the other one of the pair is put into place in the shoe it will throw the foot in the opposite direction, tending to correct wear upon the other side of the heel, and on this account by putting the required heel-lining either in the right or left hand shoe, as required, a pair of my heel-linings may be made to correct the wear on shoe-heels which tend to be run over either on the inside or outside thereof.

.1 am aware that changes may be made in the shapes and proportions of l1eel-linings by those who are skilled in the art without departing from the scope of my invention as expressed in the claims. I do not wish,therefore, to be limited to the particular form of heel-lining I have herein shown and described; but

hat I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. As an article of manufacture, a heel-lining comprising a lining-piece with a substantially crescent-shaped flap connected thereto. and a cushion inclosed in the pocket formed by folding over the flap.

2. As an article of manufacture, a heel-liumy hand in the presence of two subscribing wltnesses.

JOHN H. WVAITE.

WVitnesses:

LOUIS SOUTHGATE, PHILIP V. SOUTHGATE. 

